Ashes 2023: Stuart Broad gets Guard Of Honour from Australian team in his last Test

England's legendary pacer Stuart Broad received a guard of honor from the Australian cricket team on the fourth day of the final Ashes Test at the Oval on Sunday. The England veteran is playing his farewell Test as the hosts attempt to tie the series, despite the fact that the visitors have already won the urn. Broad confirmed his retirement from cricket yesterday, and he will join Sky Sports' cricket coverage team.

As Broad walked out to bat for the final time at The Oval, he received a standing ovation from the crowd. The Australian team gave him a guard of honor, acknowledging his significant contributions to the sport. This emotional send-off marked the end of an era, as one of England's most successful cricketers bid farewell to the game.

Although Australia retained the Ashes, Broad's summer was marked by personal triumph, as he became only the second pacer in history to record 600 Test wickets. The 37-year-old right-arm seam bowler and left-handed batsman, known for his exceptional bowling prowess, had a remarkable career that spanned over a decade. Broad began his professional career at Leicestershire before transferring to Nottinghamshire, the county of his birth, in 2008.

He has



been a key player in the Ashes series throughout his career, with memorable performances such as taking five wickets for 37 runs at The Oval in 2009, effectively securing the Ashes for England. Another unforgettable spell was at Trent Bridge in 2015, where he took eight wickets for just 15 runs, leading to Australia being all out before lunch.

"People will ask why now, and to be honest, ultimately, I really wanted to go out at the top of my own game and in an England versus Australia Test. What a feeling it would have been to be on that stage this week lifting the urn — and the fact we won't be is probably why, deep down, I felt so sad in Manchester last weekend," Broad wrote in his column for the Mail on Sunday.

"It's also nice to have some control over your destiny and at 37 you are just a hamstring tear away from someone else telling you it is the end."

Broad's decision to retire was driven by his desire to finish playing cricket at the very top. He expressed joy at the thought of bowling his last ball against Australia, a team he had always enjoyed competing against. His retirement announcement was unexpected, but it was met with respect and admiration from both his teammates and opponents.